Rep. Vargas Not Giving Up on Marijuana Legalization Bill

Hartford state Rep. not giving up on marijuana legalization effort in Connecticut

Rep. Edwin Vargas is not giving up on his drive to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Connecticut.

House Bill 6473, which was proposed by Vargas earlier this year, has yet to receive a public hearing. But Vargas said he approached the subject with Democratic leaders in the House and remains hopefully. He noted that a recent Quinnipiac University poll found state residents, by a 2-1 margin, believe adults should be permitted to legally posses a small amount of marijuana for their personal use.

"I really believe the people of Connecticut should be heard on this,'' said Vargas, D-Hartford.

Vargas' bill, and a similar proposal put forth by Rep. Juan Candelaria of New Haven, would regulate and tax the marijuana industry. The non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates legalizing marijuana could generate $29.4 million in taxes. That figure only includes in-state sales, Vargas said. If sales to out-of-state residents are includes, the number swells to more than $40 million, Vargas said.

"It's not going to solve all our fiscal woes but it will help,'' he said.

But ultimately, legalization is a criminal justice policy issue, not a fiscal one, Vargas said. "We should be spending our money not on law enforcement and incarceration but...education and rehabilitation,'' he said.

Several other New England states are contemplating recreational marijuana legalization. Connecticut legalized marijuana for medicinal use in 2012.

"It's being discussed in other places in New England and it's just a matter of time before Connecticut deals with this issue,'' Vargas said. "It's a hot topic and people have strong opinions on it.''

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has not been supportive of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in the past. On Thursday, his spokesman Devon Puglia said Malloy is focused on reforming Connecticut's criminal justice statutes for low-level drug offenses.

"While the governor has said that he would not push for the legalization of marijuana, he is proposing a set of initiatives to further a Second Chance Society in Connecticut," Puglia said.